Air intake and filter



June 4, 1940. R. s. NICHOLS AIR INTAKE AND FILTER Filed Nov. 27, 19:54

4Sheets-Sheet l ffa'iv BY ATTORNEY Jyme 4, 1940.

R. G. NICHOLS AIR INTAKE AND FILTER Filed Nov. 27, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR G/Vz'c/zals m m a.

4 Sheets-Sheet 5 iENTOR {my G A/z'coZs mm.

ATTORNEY 4 Sheets-Shet 4 Fm-h z /fap It as ll.

ATTORNEY llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll I R. G. NICHOLS AIR INTAKE AND FILTER Filed Nu. 2'7, 1954 June 4, 1940.

Patented June 4, 1940 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE 'AIR. INTAKE AND FILTER Ralph G. Nichols, St. Charles, M0,, assignor to American Car and Foundry Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application November 27, 1934, Serial No. 754,982

12 Claims. (Cl. 9813) This invention relates to a combined air intake and filter of general application and in particular to a combined air intake and filter for air conditioning systems applied to mobile units, especially rail cars.

It is an object of this invention to provide a compact, efficient air intake and filter unit that adapts itself readily to the present trend of light weight construction.

A further object is the provision of a compact unit having readily removable screens and filters.

A still further object is the provision of automatic shutters operated in accordance with the pressure of the relatively moving air.

These and further objects will be obvious, to one skilled in the art, from a study of the accompanying description and attached drawings, in which l Figures 1 and 2 are side elevation views, partly in section, of an air conditioning unit having the invention applied thereto;

Figs. 3 and 4 are plan views, partly in section, of the assembly shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

I Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on lines 55 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the relation of the removable screen and filter to each other and to the device; 30 Fig. 7 is a sectional view through part of the car and showing the control for the fresh air shutter; i

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on line 8--8 of Fig. 7, and

Figs. 9 and 10 are elevation views, partly in section, showing respectively the air flow when the car is stationary and whentraveling,

"Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference characters refer to like parts in the several views, the combined air intake and filter device A is shown as part of the air conditioning unit B, although this is purely illustrative, it being obvious that the device is equally useful even though not applied to an air conditioning unit.

The air conditioning unit shown consists of the cooling unit I, heating unit 2, eliminator 3 and motor driven blower 4 removably coupled by a collar 5 composed of either metal or some vibration deadening material. The unit is completely 50 covered with heat insulation 6 and outer shell 1', and is mounted on the lower deck adjacent the clere-story in such a position as to allow air to be forced into the car from the unit through outlet 9. The unit is also preferably provided with 55 watersprays, not shown, placed between the heating and cooling units, for washing and controlling the humidity of the air.

The air inlet and filter device A is formed with a lower plate l0, sloped to approximately conform to the slope of the lower deck, provided adjacent the outer edge with a sealing flange H and hav ing the rear portion sloped upwardly at a relatively steep angle l2 terminating in a vertical or back wall portion l3. A pair of spaced vertical plates l4, cut to conform to the contours of the bottom plate to which they are attached, are provided adjacent but spaced from an angular member l5 to form a groove in which a removable plate It may be inserted. The plate: It, removably held in place by the bolt ll extending through plate l4, has an opening out in the central portion covered by a screen it of suitable mesh and is provided at its'outer end with an angular portion I9 forming an air scoop. The opening in plate l6 conforms to an opening in plate M which is adapted to be closed by a shutter hinged at its upper edge to the plate M. The shutters are connected together by a bar 2| of such a length that only one shutter may be closed at a time.

The ends of the bottom plate have attached thereto curved end plates 22 which together with plate l4 support a top plate 23 having a central rectangular opening and an upturned flange at its outer edge. The inverted pan shaped member 2a, having a central opening registering with the opening in the top plate, extends between and is secured to plates l4 and forms a support for the filter unit 25 which is of such a thickness as to allow of ready insertionin and removal from the space provided between plates 23 and 24.

A plate 26 covers the space formed by the top, bottom and side plates and has openings cut in it and covered by hinged doors 2! and 28 held closed by any suitable latches, such as 29 and 30, engaging headed members 3| extending through openings in the doors. The door 2'! is provided with inwardly projecting brackets 32 adapted when the door is closed to hold the filter unit in position. The door 28 is formed at its lower edge with an outwardly turned flange 33 which acts as a protector for the opening 34 (Fig. 5) formed between the door and bottom plate and provided to allow drainage of any moisture that may be blown into the compartment through the screens.

A gasket 35 of cork, sponge rubber or other suitable material surrounds the opening in top plate 23 and supports a substantially box shaped member dii having one end open and having the bottom provided with an opening surrounded by the before-mentioned gasket. The end opening, which connects to the air conditioning or other unit, is provided with a fresh air damper 3''! carried on trunnions 38, one of which is extended a sufficient distance to cooperate with damper controls. The damper 31 is biased by spring 39 toward a fully closed position and is adapted to rest upon a stop 40 when in a fully open position, see Fig. l.

A crank 4| is non-rotatably fastened to the extended trunnion and carries the pivotally attached operating bar 42 provided with an operating handle and a dog which is adapted to engage notches in a plate 43 situated within the car. An adjustable tension spring 44 is connected to the crank 4| and bar 42 and aids the spring 39 in maintaining the bar in engagement with the notches and in preventing rattling of the connections.

The operation of the device is as follows, assiuning the blower to be in operation and the car stationary, the air will be drawn into the unit through the screens as shown by arrows in Fig. 9, pass upward through the filter, over the damper and into the air conditioning unit where it meets the recirculated air coming in through the opening 8, the entire air stream then being conditioned and forced into the car through opening 9. The shutters 2i assume the position shown due to their own weight and the equal air pressure acting on each shutter.

When the car is moving or for any reason air is traveling by the unit the leading scoop it will direct air into the opening and the shutters will automatically assume the position shown in Fig. 10, or some intermediate position, and the air will flow through the unit as shown by Fig. 10.

Fine dirt or cinders that might pass through the screens is directed downwardly by the shutters and will tend to settle in thecompartment but may be readily removed by unlatching and raising the door 28. The filter unit may be readily renewed or removed for cleaning by simply unlatching and raising the door 2'1. The screens l8 are readily cleaned by simply removing the bolt i1 and sliding the plate l6 out of the unit. It is thus seen that any part of the device that may need cleaning or frequent inspection is readily accessible.

Although the device has been shown and described as applied to an air conditioner for passenger cars, it is to be understood that the device may be applied to homes or any stationary struc ture and will function in the same manner as pended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A combined air intake and filter device comprising, a compartment, removable screen protected ends for said compartment formed with angular portions to direct air into the compartment, interconnected means movably secured to the compartment to control the passage of air into the compartment, removable filter means in the side of said compartment, said interconnected means deflecting the air toward the side of the compartment opposite the filter, a hinged. plate giving access to said filter and means to control the flow of air through the device.

2. A combined air intake and filter device coming therein, screen protected ends for said com-' partment, means todirect air through the screens into the compartment, filter means adjacent a side ofsaid compartment, a hinged plate secured to a side of the compartment adjacent the filter and covering an opening in said compartment, said hinged plate being arranged to permit the removal of solid matter entering the compart- Inent through the screws, and control means to control the rate of flow of air through the device.

3. A combined air intake and filter device comprising, a compartment having at least one opening therein, screen protected ends for said compartment, means to direct air through the screens into the compartment, filter means adjacenta side of said compartment and at an angle to said screened ends, a hinged plate covering an opening in said compartment spaced from said filter and formed to permit the continuous escape of solid matter entering the compartment, and control means to control the flow of air through the device. v

4. An air conditioning unit comprising, a

chamber containing the air conditioning mecha- L nism and having an extension; a combined air intake and filter device having screen protected ends and a filter through which air leaving the device must pass, said extension partially hous ing said filter to receive directly air passing through the filter and means in said extension to control the flow of air therethrough.

6. An air conditioning assembly comprising, an

air conditioning unit having an extension, a combined air intake and filter device having ascreen protected inlet, a wall common to said extension and device, a filter in said wall through which the air leaving the device will pass directly into the extensions.

7. An air conditioning assembly comprising, an air conditioning unit having an extension, a combined air intake and filter device having a screen protected inlet and a filter through which the air leaving the device must pass, said extension partially housing said'filter to receive directly the air passing therethrough and means to control the volume of air flowing through the device and extension.

8. An air conditioning assembly comprising, an air conditioning unit having an extension, a combined air intake and filter device having a screen protected inlet, a filter carried by one wall of the device and through which the air leaving the device must pass, said filter carrying wall being common to both the device and extension whereby the extension will directly receive the air passing through the filter, and means in said extension to control the flow of air through the device and extension.-

9. A combined air intake and filter device comprising, a compartment, screen protected ends on the compartment forming air inlets, filter means in the side of said compartment through which the air leaving the compartment must pass, interconnected means movably mounted adjacent each inlet to control the fiow of air through the inlets, said interconnected means being pivoted to a wall of the compartment adjacent the ends of the filter means and swingable to an inclined position so as to directly deflect the incoming air away from the filter whereby solid matter passing the screens will be precipitated.

10. A combined air intake and filter device comprising, a compartment, screen protected ends on the compartment forming air inlets, filter means in the side of said compartment through which the air leaving the compartment mustpass, interconnected means movably mounted within the compartment adjacent each inlet to control the flow of air through the inlets, said interconnected means being hinged to the wall of the compartment adjacent the filter and swingable to direct the incoming air away from the filter whereby solid matter passing the screens WiIIbB precipitated, and means to control the rate of flow of air passing through the filter.

11. An air conditioning unit comprising, a

chamber having means therein for temperature conditioning air, a combined air intake and filter device having screened openings and a filter in one side through which air leaving the device must pass, said chamber being formed with an opening overlying said filter element, and control means for regulating the fiow of air throughsaid chamber.

12. An air conditioning unit comprising, a chamber having means therein for temperature conditioning air, a combined air intake and filter device immediately adjacent said chamber and having screened openings and a filter in one side thereof at an angle with the screened openings, an extension of said chamber being formed with an opening overlying said filter to permit passage of air from the filter device to the conditioning chamber, and means in said extension to control the flow of air from said filter device.

RALPH G. NICHOLS. 

